GOLD FOR WINNING SOVIETS

Soviet athletes who win gold medals at the Seoul Olympics will be awarded the equivalent of $19,000 for their efforts, the head of the Soviet Olympic Committee says. Marat Gra-mov announced the new policy at a news conference Monday and denied such payments conflict with the purely amateur status Soviet athletes purportedly possess. He said those on the 550-member Soviet team in Seoul who win gold medals will be paid 12,000 rubles ($19,047). Silver medalists will receive 5,000 rubles, and bronze medalists will collect 3,000 rubles.